Field of the Invention
This invention, in one aspect, is directed to methods for recovering Shiga-like toxins (SLT) from a sample under physiologically acceptable conditions using an affinity ligand covalently attached to a solid support. The use of such a covalently attached affinity ligand enhances the purity of the product and these methods employ mildly basic conditions to effect elution of the SLT from the affinity support thereby avoiding the use of acidic conditions and, in particular, harsh acidic conditions.
In another aspect, the SLTs recovered in this invention are inactivated to provide for an immunoprotective vaccine.